Tim Kuniskis Announces Retirement from Dodge and Ram

Tim Kuniskis, one-time host of MT‘s Last Call drag racing event celebrating the Hemi V-8, and CEO of Dodge and Ram in the U.S., is now retiring from his executive roles at Stellantis this summer. The shuffle at the top comes amid a shift in corporate strategy towards downsized internal combustion and electrified powertrains going forward, and the CEO’s replacement has already been announced.

Nobody should envy the person at Dodge who has to convince a sales base of high-horsepower V-8 muscle car owners to eventually switch to electric power. However, that person won’t be Tim Kuniskis, who is retiring from his roles at Dodge and Ram on June 1 this year. Matt McAlear, who already leads the automaker’s sales operations, will replace Kuniskis at Dodge. Meanwhile, Chris Feuell, the current CEO of Chrysler, will take over Kuniskis’ leadership role at Ram.

Kuniskis transitioned among Stellantis brands, overseeing Jeep and Alfa Romeo briefly in 2018 before returning to Dodge in 2021. In 2023, he added the Ram brand to his responsibilities, maintaining a focus on performance, even as Dodge unveiled its first Charger Daytona EV muscle car.

Well-known for introducing high-horsepower models featuring the corporate Hemi V-8 engine, Kuniskis will no longer have this option with future models. Instead, he oversaw the development of the efficient Hurricane family of inline-cylinder engines, which are currently offered in SO and HO turbocharged versions. A rumored I-4 version is expected soon. This new engine is in the latest generation of the 2025 Ram 1500, as well as the upcoming two- and four-door versions of the new Dodge Charger.

Furthermore, reports indicate that Ram sales have dropped over 29 percent this year. This decline coincides with a factory undergoing retooling. Dodge’s sales also fell by more than 17 percent this year, despite the introduction of the new Hornet SUV.